1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to electrosurgical devices and, more particularly, to electrosurgical devices, systems, and methods that include one or more lumens adapted to operatively connect to one or more outside sources.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Electrocauterization, commonly referred to as electrosurgery, is a commonly used medical technique whereby radio-frequency (RF) and other forms of energy are used to treat and/or to remove tissue. Tissue that is to be treated and/or to be removed may be located in a wide variety of targets within the body, including but not limited to the abdominal organs, the thoracic cavity and lymphoid tissue, including the tonsils and adenoids.
Typically, electrocauterization is performed using electrosurgical devices (e.g., suction coagulator, commercially available ValleyLab Inc., and sold as product No. E2G12-6, or other suitable electrosurgical curette), which may include an RF electrode configured to ablate, seal, desiccate and/or coagulate tissue. Generally, the desiccation and/or coagulation electrode is coupled between a power source, e.g., an electrosurgical generator, (outside the body) and a dispersive return electrode (e.g., a return electrode) or an indifferent electrode, e.g., return electrode, for contacting a large surface of the body. When an RF voltage is provided between the desiccation and/or coagulation electrode and the return electrode, RF current flows between the desiccation and/or coagulation electrode through the body and to the return electrode. Typically, the current density is very high near the tip of the desiccation and/or coagulation electrode, which heats the adjacent tissue.
An important criterion when using electrode desiccation and/or coagulation systems relates to the temperature of the electrode achieved during the desiccation and/or coagulation process. Specifically, it may be desirable to control or maintain the temperature of certain desiccation and/or coagulation electrodes, of a given electrode tip geometry, such in order to maximize coagulation. Limiting the temperature of the electrode prevents the desiccated tissue from overheating. Over heated tissue may stick to or accumulate on or near the electrode and/or the treated tissue.
Electrosurgery is frequently used today to achieve hemostasis, such as, for example, when excising, scraping, and/or sculpting tissue. Excising tissue may require a clinician to scrape and/or slice off a thin section of tissue. This may be achieved with a sharp electrosurgical curette and/or suction coagulator. Typically, after excising tissue with a sharp edge, control of hemostasis is lost, and the electrosurgical curette and/or suction coagulator is used to regain control of the ensuing bleeding. In this instance, the electrosurgical curette and/or suction coagulator may provide surface desiccation and/or coagulation to the surrounding hemorrhaging tissue. However, because current densities at or near the tip of the electrode may become very high, eschar (thermally deadened and oxidized protein) may sometimes stick to or accumulate on or near the electrode and the treated tissue. Eschar sticking or accumulating at or near the electrode may become problematic. For example, eschar sticking or accumulating at or near the electrode may cause a clinician further/continued loss control of the hemostatic effect delaying progress in a surgical procedure.
Commercially available electrosurgical curettes, such as, for example, those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,749,608 to Garito et al., include an elongated structure defining a central axis therethrough. The elongate structure includes a handle at a proximate end thereof. The elongated structure terminates in a downwardly extending claw-shaped end. Suspending from the claw-shaped end is a non-cooled cutting blade. Because the cutting blade of the electrosurgical curette of the '608 patent has a sharp blade edge and is non-cooled, there is limited ability to provide an effective hemostasis as it is cutting through tissue.
A similar electrosurgical curette is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,802,842, to Ellman et al. The curette of the '842 patent includes a tonsil and adenoid device that includes an electrode with an electrically conductive cutting edge. While the '842 patent describes that a fluid source may be connected to the electrosurgical curette, the fluid source is not in fluid communication with the electrode. Because the cutting blade of the curette of the '842 patent is substantially sharp and non-cooled, there is limited ability to provide an effective hemostasis as it is cutting through tissue.
Accordingly, a need exists for the manufacture of electrosurgical devices for tissue desiccation and/or coagulation, systems for tissue desiccation and/or coagulation that include the electrosurgical devices and methods for desiccating and/or coagulating tissues using cooled RF desiccation and/or coagulation devices.